The present invention relates to a technique for a plasma display panel. More particularly, the present invention relates to a technique effectively applied to a plasma display panel having a light-shielding film of dark colors formed in a non-emission area between a pair of display electrodes.
In recent years, an alternate-current plasma display device which performs surface discharge has been put into practical use as a flat-type plasma display device, and it has become widely used for a plasma display device for personal computer and work station etc., a flat-type wall-hung television, or a device for displaying advertisement and information etc. Accordingly, a technique capable of obtaining high contrast has been strongly desired to a plasma display panel (PDP: Plasma Display Panel) to be embedded in such a plasma display device so as to improve image quality.
A PDP comprises a front substrate and a rear substrate, and a discharge gap in which a discharge gas such as rare gas is filled is formed between the front substrate and the rear substrate. A plurality of display electrode pairs are arranged to the front substrate, and a dielectric layer covering the display electrode pair is formed. And, a non-emission area which does not contribute to display emission of the PDP is provided between the display electrode pairs next to each other. Further, a barrier rib which sections the discharge gap and an address electrode arranged to cross the display electrode pair are formed to the rear substrate. Moreover, phosphors which emit visible light of red (R), green (G), and blue (B) that are primary colors are formed in respective emission areas in respective discharge gaps sectioned by the barrier ribs.
In the PDP, a voltage is applied across the display electrodes to generate surface discharge in a discharge gap, so that phosphors are excited by vacuum ultraviolet light generated by the discharge, thereby displaying desired color image. And, a cell to be selected its on/off is arranged at every intersection of the display electrode pair and the address electrode.
A system to select a cell is made such that a voltage is applied across the address electrode and one of the display electrode pair so that an opposed discharge (address discharge) is generated in the cell at which the electrodes intersect, thereby selecting a cell to perform the surface discharge.
Outside light is irradiated on the non-emission area from the front substrate side, and when it is reflected, the contrast (bright-room contrast) of the PDP is lowered. As a method for improving the bright-room contrast, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2000-82395 (Patent Document 1) discloses a structure in which a stripe-like light-shielding film called black-stripe layer is formed in the non-emission area at the front substrate side.
And, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2002-75229 (Patent Document 2) discloses a method for making a process of forming a light-shielding film efficient, that is, a method of forming the light-shielding film by using a same material with a bus electrode configuring a display electrode pair.